Freemasons For Dummies: John Slifko and the Grand Orient of the US: "
FREEMASONS FOR DUMMIES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2008

John Slifko and the Grand Orient of the US
Well-known California Mason John Slifko, who has been associated with UCLA's Roosevelt Center For The Study Of Civil Society & Freemasonry has demitted from his regular lodge...

]]>Masonic foundation exceeds pledge to KU Cancer Centerhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/5/14/masonic-foundation-exceeds-pledge-to-ku-cancer-center.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-05-14T22:09:25Z

The Kansas Masonic Foundation has surpassed its $15 million pledge to support cancer research through the University of Kansas Cancer Center -- and has done so a year ahead of schedule.

Foundation President Jeff Sowder said in a release Monday that a recent $2 million gift from the Mark and Bette Morris Foundation increased the Kansas Masonic Foundation's total giving to KU Cancer Center to more than $15.2 million. The Masonic foundation launched the five-year Partnership for Life Campaign to fulfill the $15 million pledge to KU Cancer Center in November 2003.

In recognition of the Masonic Foundation's generous support of cancer research, the KU Medical Center named the KU Cancer Center's research wing the Kansas Masonic Research Institute. The new $15 million pledge brings the foundation's total support for KU cancer research to more than $20 million.

"The Masons of Kansas have made a great impact on the KU Cancer Center," Sowder said in the release. "We are extremely proud of the success of our Partnership for Life Campaign. Kansas Masons and friends have been generous in their giving. ... But our partnership with KU Cancer Center is lifelong, and we will continue our efforts until there is a cure for this dreaded disease."

An important interim goal, the release said, is to assist KU Cancer Center in achieving designation as a comprehensive cancer center from the National Cancer Institute. Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center and its Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute, said recently that NCI designation will translate into about $40 million a year in NCI research grants for investigators throughout Kansas and Western Missouri.

"The funds raised by Kansas Masons will help advance cancer awareness and research throughout the region," Jensen said in the release Monday. "The institute seeks to bring to KU Cancer Center new cancer research programs, new resources for determining and providing more effective treatments, and greater opportunities to collaborate with the finest researchers around the world to conquer all forms of cancer."]]>Chapter and Councilhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/5/14/chapter-and-council.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-05-14T22:09:11Z
I look forward to degree work that we are planning for this summer. The Chapter and Council degrees are some of the most meaningful in Freemasonry. My two favorite of all Masonic degrees are the Royal Arch Degree and the Royal Master Degree.

The Holy Royal Arch is the conclusion and explanation of the Master Mason degree. I can say that you have really missed the full meaning of your 3rd degree if you've not received the Royal Arch. And, the Royal Master degree can be viewed as a prequel to the events of the 3rd degree.

If you are a Mason and have not joined Chapter and Council you are missing some wonderful degrees. And, further opportunities for Masonic fellowship.]]>The Masonic Society - On the Move! - And AMDhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/5/4/the-masonic-society-on-the-move-and-amd.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-05-04T21:00:58Z
There is a myth floating around in the Masonic world that the way to make more Masons is to make Masonry easier, simpler, and quicker. But the light I see expressed by newer Masons is that they want more. More education, more depth, more understanding, more information, more study, more involvement in the Craft.

This reminds me of the current growth nationally of the Allied Masonic Degrees. As a new AMD member in a brand new AMD council I have learned that the AMD is one of the few nationally recognized York Rite related bodies that is experiencing growth. Why?

Well, the AMD creates the small lodge experience with no more than 27 members per council. It is expected that all 27 members will be active participants. The society is geared towards Masonic research, discussion, education and discussion. New councils, unlike many Masonic bodies, are easy to start and easy to get a charter for.

Des Moines has a new AMD Council, Polaris NO. 449 AMD, which is moving forward. I will be presenting a Masonic paper at our July meeting for discussion. Given my experience with AMD and other similar organizations, AMD has all the others beat for ease of startup and focus.

The power and promise of Freemasonry is found in the philosophy and way of life it teaches. And, as Masons wade into the deeper waters of the Craft they find compelling reasons to be a Mason!]]>The Masonic Society off to a huge start!http://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/5/3/the-masonic-society-off-to-a-huge-start.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-05-03T01:07:22Z
It does my heart good to know that many Masons are interested in new and growing avenues of Masonic research!]]>The Masonic Societyhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/5/1/the-masonic-society.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-05-01T04:08:10Z

What Is The Masonic Society?


"The ultimate success of Masonry depends on the intelligence of her disciples." - Albert Mackey

A significant group of passionate Masons are coming together to create what aims to be nothing less than the premiere North American research society in Freemasonry. Called simply The Masonic Society, we are gathering together brothers who have a deep and abiding desire to seek knowledge, explore history, discover symbolism, debate philosophies, and in short, who will be at the forefront of charting a path for the future of Freemasonry.

As a student of Freemasonry, you are invited to join with us in the formation of this new and exciting organization.

Our name, The Masonic Society, intentionally alludes to the Royal Society, the innovative organization of visionary men who were at the forefront of the Age of Enlightenment, many of whom were present at the formation of what became modern Freemasonry. Likewise, our new Society will be at the forefront of a new age of Freemasonry, and we intend to be a vibrant, active community within the fraternity.

The goal of The Masonic Society is not just to look backward at the history of Freemasonry, but to foster the intellectual, spiritual and social growth of the modern Masonic fraternity.

To that end, The Masonic Society extends the hand of assistance and cooperation to individual Masonic research lodges in North America. It is the desire of The Masonic Society to be a partner with these lodges, to give their members the regular opportunity to publish their papers for an international audience, and to publicize their activities.

The Masonic Society is also forging a special relationship with those bodies that meet annually during Masonic Week, as well as the Grand Encampment, Knights Templar and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. While not designed as a York Rite-specific research group, The Masonic Society encourages examination of this branch of Freemasonry.

Membership in The Masonic Society is $39 per year ($49 outside of the U.S. & Canada). Benefits will include:

• Commemorative pin, patent of membership, and dues card.

• The quarterly Journal of The Masonic Society will present articles that enlighten our past, and explore solutions to the challenges facing Freemasonry today and tomorrow. The Journal will feature articles by the best-known authors in Freemasonry, as well as the brethren from the lodges in your neighborhood. There will also be articles from the non-Masonic academic world that is looking with greater interest than ever at our fraternity and its place in society. We'll bring you timely Masonic news, photos and commentary from around the globe, in full color. The Journal will also feature advertising from a select group of publishers, regalia manufacturers, and fraternal supply companies which specialize in products specific to Freemasons – the only magazine of its kind to do so in America and Canada.

• Members-only access to the Masonic Society online Internet forum.

• Annual First Circle gatherings – Each year, The Masonic Society will be an active participant in the Allied Masonic Degrees "Masonic Week," held in February in Alexandria, Virginia. This will include the annual First Circle gathering. An additional symposium will be held elsewhere in the US or Canada once a year. These events will be educational, informative, but most of all, fun and memorable to attend.


Fellows of the Masonic Society will be named each year, in recognition of their contribution to the body of knowledge of the fraternity, through their writing, their Internet presence, their service to the Society, or their labors for Freemasonry.

Membership in the Society is open to regular Master Masons in good standing of regular, recognized grand lodges in good standing with the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America (CGMMNA), or a grand lodge in amity with a member grand lodge of CGMMNA. Non-Masons, libraries, lodges, and members of other obediences may also subscribe to the Journal at the $39 annual rate.
quill]]>Younger Masonryhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/4/23/younger-masonry.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-04-23T16:32:38ZThis caused me to reflect on the age of members in our fraternity.

While I have no statistical analysis to back this up, my own personal observation from lodges I visit, to Grand Lodge sessions I attend, to the interest of Freemasonry on the internet is that Masonic membership is beginning to become younger again. I see many more young faces in leadership in the Craft, I see a growing interest in fraternity among younger men. And, I see those men being very active in the Craft. Acanthus Lodge should be congratulated for getting these new men involved! They are obviously working hard to involve new members.

Now that we are again getting younger men to consider Freemasonry, we need to make sure we give them Freemasonry. As a fraternal organization we need to reexamine our core principles, remind ourselves of the essentials of the Craft, and make sure we pass on those essentials to the incoming generation.

Younger Masons want Masonic education, and we must give them that. Younger Masons want to understand the power and meaning of our ritual. Younger Masons are looking for avenues for them to participate in the life of the Craft.

When I became a Mason, seven years ago now, I wasn't looking for another dinner club, or another charity to contribute to. I wasn't looking for another community service organization. I was looking to become a part of the oldest and noblest fraternity of men.

We need to make sure we give these new young Masons what they joined to get. We need to give them those things that are unique to our fraternity that they can't get anywhere else. We need to give them Freemasonry.]]>A Thank You to Burning Taperhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/4/15/a-thank-you-to-burning-taper.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-04-15T21:48:43Z
Brother Chris Hodapp also pointed out that I failed to mention my previous connections in Indiana as an original member of the Knights of the North who wrote the paper Laudable Pursuit. And, I am proud to claim it. The Knights of the North have been some of the most forward thinking Freemasons I have known as a Mason.]]>Comfort in Ritual and Symbolhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/4/15/comfort-in-ritual-and-symbol.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-04-15T02:23:04Z
So, what is the purpose in the same words, actions, signs, and steps being given each and every time we meet?

First, it is instruction. We are reminded of our duties as Masons in the opening and closing rituals.

Second, it is a way to circumscribe out time. From the opening of a lodge to its closing we are to leave the cares of the world behind. For that time we are shut off from the world, its worries, its concerns, its conflicts, and its politics. Men gather in a lodge on the level.

But, for me another function is comfort. The repeated ritual actually brings me a sense of relaxed well being. I know that I am in familiar surroundings where old, well worn, even ancient words are said again and again. I know that we will share together in the next hour things both old and new. We will talk about the business of the lodge but, much more than that. We will lift up the needs of a brother, we will find ways to act charitably, we will seek to bring new men into this gentle craft, we will receive a fine presentation on the symbols of our lodge. And, as brethren we will enjoy each others fellowship.

Masons call it the "mystic tie." I know that sounds phrase full of sentimentality But, it isn't just that. The mystic tie is a sense of belonging, a sense of experiencing what is right in the world, a sense of friendship and brotherhood, and a sense of comfort.

I can step into any Masonic lodge in the world and hear similar if not the same words. And I can find the same mystic tie even among brethren I've never met. That same ritual and symbolism ties me to Masons of all the previous generations who have also shared these same words, symbols, and sentiments.

So for me, when the Master raps his gavel and the lodge comes to order, for that time all feels right with the world immersed in the depths of ancient symbols, old and true words, and high and noble ideals.]]>The Freedom and Price of Truthhttp://hiramtyre.squarespace.com/home/2008/4/13/the-freedom-and-price-of-truth.htmlTimothy Bonney2008-04-13T03:35:48Z
As Masons we believe strongly that the truth shall set you free. We are an organization that strives to uphold truth, teach the truth, and be men of truth and honor. But, there is also a cost to truthfulness and a price to be paid for absolute integrity. That cost is in the refusal of the Mason to give less than the truth even at his own peril.

Throughout the history of the Craft there have always been those who persecuted Freemasonry for its focus on enlightened truth. Dictators have always been suspicious of Freemasonry. Men such as Hitler persecuted Freemasons because, in part, Masons could never be trusted to be "yes men." Masons have always had a reputation of being independent thinkers, self reliant and yet supported by a brotherhood of equally truthful men.

Some religious persons and/or groups also persecute Freemasons either because they have swallowed the evil lies told to them by others about the purpose and nature of the Order or, because men dedicated to truth and freedom are not always welcome if an organization wants to control its membership.

For Masons in many places around the world (and even in the US at times) even answering the question, "Are you a Freemason?" entails some personal or possibly professional risk. Surprisingly those of us who are clergy often answer and are asked the most questions about our Masonic affiliation.

Through all these centuries Masons have stood for democracy, freedom of action and thought, separation of church and state, responsibility, truthfulness, appropriate but not unthinking patriotism, and faith in God. And, they have stood for these truths even while being persecuted, lied about, and vilified.

What better fraternity to uphold than one that stands for telling, living, and being truthful no matter what the cost?

Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. It is no trite phrase. It is the call of the work of a lifetime of service to higher thoughts and nobler deeds.

The truth is that I am proud to be a Freemason. And, I am proud of what Freemasonry stands for. And, I am proud of the men I know who are Masons.

Timothy D. Bonney, PM
Daylight Lodge No. 660 A.F.&A.M.
Acanthus Lodge no. 632 A.F.&A.M.]]>